Power Hubs and Peaceful Havens

The Swiss Chambers of Commerce today present themselves—quite confidently—as the "Voice of the Economy." As leading local Business Interest Associations (BIAs), they advocate for the interests of their members and actively lobby for favorable economic policies. A historical examination of these chambers, from their founding in the 1870s to the present day, offers valuable insights into the evolution of Switzerland’s power structures. By tracing the institutions as well as the individuals involved, this talk will chart the broader shifts in the Swiss Political Economy.

Despite a global decline in violence over centuries, many regions, particularly in Latin America, remain plagued by persistently high levels of violence. How do societies move from persistent violence to sustainable peace? In the past, research has focused on violent people, violent organizations, and state interventions targeting problems of violence. These approaches are insufficient as they do not tackle persistent violence entrenched in social structures. In this talk, Enzo Nussio presents a new research project called “Decades of Peace”. Going beyond previous research, he proposes to study the processes of alignment between state and societal institutions as a mechanism to overcome persistent violence.